The weather today in my neck of the woods:

Hot and very, very humid. Had to transplant some plants the past few days as the afternoon sun is really taking it’s toll on Full Sun tolerant plants.

A simple pleasure:

Talking with my best friend.

I am thankful:

That Mr. John and Miss Sam survived Miss Sam’s first driving lesson. Yeppers…you heard me correctly….Miss Sam earned her Learner’s Permit last week!!!!

From the kitchen:

I wish I could say that I am accomplishing much in the kitchen…but not only can I not seem to cook in there….the floor is beginning to look a bit grungy…from what I don’t know since no cooking seems to be taking place there.

From the learning rooms:

Miss Sam continues to be in school during the summer. Haven’t heard any complaints….course I haven’t developed the talent of getting inside her head….yet.

I am reading:

Having difficulty focusing on any book since reading Think Twice by Lisa Scottoline. It was excellent. Am currently reading The White Queen by Philippa Gregory but can’t seem to stay grounded in the castle.

I did pick up a few books at the Marion County Library Used Book Store that look pretty interesting:

Ruth A Portrait: The Story of Ruth Bell Graham by Patricia Cornwell

A Place to Stand by Jimmy Santiago Baca

and this one from the Books-a-Million clearance rack:

One Drop: My Father’s Hidden Life – A History of Race and Family Secrets by Bliss Broyard

Seems it may be a summer of Biographies.

On My Mind:

Working on my Family History. It’s a challenge when 95% of your “family” doesn’t recognize you as “family”.

Creative Projects:

• The Family History Book. It is really coming along nicely. I finally figured out the best way to display the photos/letters/documents in a fluid format. Can’t wait until all the photos/letters/documents are added so that I can begin my personal “writing” in it.
• Collecting all my lectures for all my courses and having them spiral bound. I should be finished with this particular project this week.
• Developing the Abnormal Psychology course for the Spring Semester.

Hearth and Home:

• Been so busy with my creative projects that the hearth and home have taken quite a back seat. Sigh.

I laugh:

Because my husband and daughter are two peas in a pod and I am just a visitor or rather a “stranger in their strange land”.

Inspirational Thought I’m  Sharing:

I am reading the book of Job and if you haven’t read my Facebook page you haven’t heard how I love.love.love. this particular book in the Bible. It is my favorite by far.

I am also reading Charles Swindoll’s book – A Man of Heroic Endurance: Job

Here is a great prayer that was in Chapter Three of Charles Swindoll’s book:

“O, God, I trust You. I don’t know why I’m going through this. If there’s something I can learn, wonderful. If there’s something someone else can learn, great. Just get me through it. Just hold me close. Deepen me. Change me.”

Amen.

A Picture Thought  I am sharing:

Although this is not a personal photo I truly like this particular picture and the message it conveys.

Take a chance and go for it.

The weather today in my neck of the woods:

Hot and humid with mid-afternoon thunder boomers. A typical summer day to celebrate the official First Day of Summer.

A simple pleasure:

Homemade iced coffee brewed to perfection.

I am thankful:

That although she is being forced to go (the perks of being THE PARENT), I am thankful that Miss Sam likes the Sunday night church/youth group at our new church: Reflections Church.

From the kitchen:

Made some awesome burgers for our Father’s Day “cookout” and don’t forget my super delicious baked beans…all in all….that would be it for the week in my kitchen.

From the learning rooms:

Miss Sam is doing wonderful in all her courses. She just completed Driver’s Ed (scheduling the DMV book test this week) – along with English segment one receiving A’s in both. That’s my girl!!!

We are both struggling with Algebra – but her effort deserves an A++++.

I am reading:

The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews. One of my favorite summer time authors…and this book does not disappoint.

On My Mind:

The way God is working in me as I handle more rejection from my family. I’m done. All I can do now is pray.

Creative Projects:

• Working on sorting through photos and scanning them onto flash drives then storing them in these handy dandy storage boxes….soooooo much better than the cardboard photo boxes!!!!
• Continuing to work on family genealogy. I have to do this in spits and spurts as it can be overwhelming.

Hearth and Home:

• Still waiting for those gas masks folks so I can tackle Miss Sam’s room!!!
• Gave it all a good once over this past week – should be good for another year or so.

I laugh:

Because we saw Shrek: Forever After and it was great!! I love the Shrek series.

Inspirational Thought I’m  Sharing:

An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins. Proverbs 29:22

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. Proverbs 29: 11

A Picture Thought  I am sharing:

Miss Sam and her Dalmatian Posse…back when she was incredibly cute….now she is awesomingly beautiful!!!!!

The weather today in my neck of the woods:

Very very very humid!!!!! Heat index was around 110 yesterday. No working outside unless I can manage to roll myself out of bed around 5:00 am. Not happening.

A simple pleasure:

Going to the library.

I am thankful:

That because of my faith and intense therapy I have a confidence that will not be shaken to the extent that the tremors caused by the quaking will damage the life I have built.

From the kitchen:

Still not doing so well there. Ho Hum.

But did grill steaks this weekend. Yum. Winn Dixie has THE best steaks at a reasonable price.

From the learning rooms:

Miss Sam is finishing up on Biology II (TODAY!!!!!!! – Do you hear me Miss Sam????)

I am reading:

Could not get into Shanghai Girls so have gone back to an old favorite:

Bones by Jonathan Kellerman. It got me from the first page so that is good. His other two before this one was just a wash for me – couldn’t even get past the first chapter.

On My Mind:

Personal writings.

Creative Projects:

• Still working on both sides of the family history. Great stuff!!! Here’s a glimpse of my workstation for that. Can we say OCD????

• Working on a backyard garden for the fall – need to fence it in though. Not because of rabbits – unless a certain aussie shephard that shall remain nameless has some rabbit DNA in her.

Hearth and Home:

• Still waiting for those gas masks folks so I can tackle Miss Sam’s room!!!
• Carpets need to be cleaned.
• Entire house needs to be swiffered – I mean dusted.

I laugh:

Because my students don’t think I know whose phone  is vibrating during a documentary. They won’t be laughing when their final grade reflects a grade drop. Read your syllabus!!!

Inspirational Thought I’m  Sharing:

Our heritage influences, but doesn’t necessarily determine, our life decisions.

Life Application Bible

Some picture thoughts  I am sharing:

So how does my garden grow????

Some juicy home grown tomatoes just waiting to make friends with a grilled burger.

The weather today in my neck of the woods:

Hot and humid. Too hot to be outside gardening anymore. Although I did yesterday morning…just straightening and pruning…and of course watering!! Can’t wait for the rainy season to fill up that rain barrel.

A simple pleasure:

My quiet time in the morning. I relish it. I must confess that I let Miss Sam sleep extra because I’m not finished enjoying my “simple pleasure”. Shhhh….don’t squeal on me.

I am thankful:

That I have the opportunity to develop and teach the new Abnormal Psychology class that is being offered Spring 2011.

Did you know that as of May 25th our community college will now be a four year school?????  Our name will be Central Florida College. Go Patriots!!!

From the kitchen:

Not doing so well there. Ho Hum.

From the learning rooms:

Miss Sam is almost finished with World History….her favorite subject. Nope – she doesn’t get a summer vacation. Are you kidding????? Every day is a vacation for her!!!!

I am reading:

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. I am really enjoying it. Funny because I have had her other book Snow Flower and the Secret Fan on my bookshelf for about a year or two (every since Heidi from God’s Grace in Practice recommended it) and haven’t read it yet.

On My Mind:

This particular post that I just read over at Heidi’s place. It really struck a chord with me as last night in my Developmental Psychology class we were discussing gene linked and chromosomal abnormalities.

Please…please….take a few moments to click over and read it:

Mother’s Lie by Lisa Borgman

Creative Projects:

• Still working on the family history.
• Working on FINALLY putting my lectures into book form and having them spiral bound so that I am not always carrying a crap load of papers with me looking like the stereotypical harried professor.
• Still designing/exploring what to do with several areas in the backyard for when the cool weather (snicker) returns.

Hearth and Home:

• Still waiting for those gas masks folks so I can tackle Miss Sam’s room!!!
• FINALLY washed the kitchen floor – the bane of my existence.

I laugh:

Because I believe I’m perfect.

Inspirational Thought I’m  Sharing:

A few things have happened on the professional front recently that really had me take a look at some areas that I wrestle with….and funny thing….Oswald Chambers JUST HAPPENED to be talking about those things in last week’s devotionals…go figure…God’s Thumbprints….they are all over the place!!!

God loved me not because I was lovable, but because it was His nature to do so. Now He commands me to show the same love to others by saying, “…love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). He is saying, “I will bring a number of people around you whom you cannot respect, but you must exhibit My love to them, just as I have exhibited it to you.”

The right thing to do with godly habits is to immerse them in the life of the Lord until they become such a spontaneous expression of our lives that we are no longer aware of them. Our spiritual life continually causes us to focus our attention inwardly for the determined purpose of self-examination, because each of us has some qualities we have not yet added to our lives….There is a quality that is still lacking you. Identify your shortcoming and then look for opportunities to work into your life that missing quality.

Conscience is that ability within me that attaches itself to the highest standard I know, and then continually reminds me of what that standard demands that I do. It is the eye of the soul which looks out either toward God or toward what we regard as the highest standard. This explains why conscience is different in different people. If I am in the habit of continually holding God’s standard in front of me, my conscience will always direct me to God’s perfect law and indicate what I should do. The question is will I obey?

Not only did God put his Thumbprints on my Oswald Chamber readings…I was also at Psalm 145 in my daily reading of Psalms. It provides an excellent guide to God’s standards:

The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made

The Lord is faithful to all his promises.

The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

I pray continually that I will not stumble too much as I put God’s standards in front of me and strive to be more like Him:

patient; gracious; compassionate; slow to anger; rich in love; good to all; faithful to my promises; loving; just; forgiving

He want your lifestyle to leave a trail of his Spirit’s aroma of grace and peace and salvation. Erin Keeley Marshall

Some picture thoughts  I am sharing:

So how does my garden grow????

Well the squash got squashed by the rabbits once I transplanted it from a container into the ground (sigh).

The peppers (both red and yellow) are still growing but have not had any flowers on them as of yet.

But my tomatoes….my oh my. The container ones aren’t producing too much (I was more successful with the ones last year). Here is what is on the the vine with the container plant:

Now my Topsy Turvy tomato plant is doing awesome!!!  Several people stated that it was a “wash” for them and didn’t produce. Well I am glad that I gave it a try anyway!!! Here is what my Topsy Turvy tomato plant is producing:

As they say in Farmville – Yee-Haw.

I think I am going to try the Strawberry Topsy Turvy next!!!

The weather today in my neck of the woods:

Breezy and cool temperatures today. A lovely day to transplant some of those plants that are still in their pots due to the outrageously humid days we had last week.

A simple pleasure:

A few days to be selfish with my days before the Summer A Semester begins.

I am thankful:

For that first cup of coffee in the morning.

From the kitchen:

Made some delicious BBQ Green Beans for a family get together on Mother’s Day. Thanks Vicci T.!!!!

From the learning rooms:

Miss Sam continues to make progress through all her subjects. We are so blessed to have the opportunity for her to attend Florida Virtual School. It allows her a lot of freedom to spend time with family during the week.

I am still reading:

Smash Cut by Sandra Brown. Now her books ALWAYS catch my attention. This one is no exception. It’s good. Looking forward to reading it tonight as I snuggle into a bed that has freshly laundered linens on it. Luxury!!!

On My Mind:

Implementing my swimming schedule and co-ordinating it with my summer teaching schedule.

Creative Projects:

• Click here.
• See photos below.

Hearth and Home:

The most recent house cleaning led to three carloads of stuff to the thrift stores.

Next on the list…..Miss Sam’s room. Get your gas masks ready!!!!

I laugh:

Remembering the special needs dog in the movie The Back-up Plan tripping over the pile of magazines in the living room. Really cute “feel good” movie. However, the dog was the star in my opinion!!

Inspirational Thought I’m  Sharing:

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8

Thanks to today’s reading in My Utmost for His Highest (May 10th reading) in having me re-visit this wonderful scripture as I head into Summer A Semester.

Some picture thoughts  I am sharing:

Before:

There are approximately 6 boxes like this. However, I am working diligently to sorting and filing them with this wonderful photo storage system:

After:

I bought these boxes at Office Max but you can look at them more closely here. Each small container holds up to 100 photos.

Okay, time to get busy scanning all those photos!!!!!

The weather today in my neck of the woods:

Overcast ~ Hot ~ Humid. Cleared out the laundry room of all the hoodie hooks and put the hoodies in storage for next year….because you know it won’t get cold again until around January. We hope.

A simple pleasure:

Staying home while it pours down rain all day.

I am thankful:

For macaroni. Sam is having mac and cheese for dinner tonight and I am making plain old macaroni salad. Mr. John????? He just grabbed a frozen pizza out of the fridge.

From the kitchen:

See above.

From the learning rooms:

Finally managed to get some of those aggravating labs started (the yeast is still growing) and one finished (seems I don’t know how to wash my hands properly). Left is the math one…yeehaw.

Miss Sam will be interviewing her grandfather tomorrow for her World History assignment. This blends well with our genealogy project.

I  finished reading:

I haven’t. I checked out about 20 books from the library but could only work my way to Chapter Two or Three before getting bored with about five of them.

I am currently reading:

Smash Cut by Sandra Brown. Now her books ALWAYS catch my attention. This one is no exception. It’s good. Looking forward to reading it tonight as I snuggle into a bed that has freshly laundered linens on it. Luxury!!!

On My Mind:

Working on that minimalist lifestyle. So how long has this work been going on????? Those that have been with me for the four years I have been blogging know that it’s been about…..oh yea…four years.

Almost there. Second car load will be heading out on Friday.

Creative Projects:

• Too hot to work outside anymore. Working on plans for the fall gardens.
• Really getting revved up with the genealogy. Have all documents sorted and filed. Have all the available photos sorted and ready to scan and print. Just waiting for Hobby Lobby to have their 40% coupon…hopefully next week. I was going to scrap with the 12 x 12 book but decided on the smaller 8 x 12 because it will be easier to scan the book and send to all the siblings.
• Chess. That’s creative isn’t it???? I have never played so Miss Sam is slammin’ me. But I am going to keep plugging along.

Hearth and Home:

Spent much of the day putting the final touches on the minimalist look. Even the refrigerator got a “makeover” (see below).

I laugh:

Because Miss Sam doesn’t know that I am reading The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Chess. Shhh. Don’t tell.

Inspirational Thought I’m  Sharing:

As Spring Semester comes to a close and new opportunities within the college are opening up for me (developing and teaching Abnormal Psychology Spring 2011) and becoming involved in a new adjunct project spearheaded by the college president….I know that it is no coincidence that I read this particular reading this morning:

Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. 1 Chronicles 21:1

David’s census brought disaster because, unlike the census taken in the book of Numbers that God had ordered, this census was taken so David could take pride in the strength of his army. In determining his military strength, he was beginning to trust more in military power than in God.

There is a fine line between feeling confident because you rely on God’s power and becoming proud because you have been used by God for great purposes.

Life Application Bible

Some picture thoughts  I am sharing:

Before:

After:

My macaroni salad is chilled. Time to see who has to leave American Idol tonight. I just hope it isn’t Lee.

Before you click off to leave a comment (hint – hint) I hope that you take a moment to read two posts that my IRL friend Linda has recently written. Both of these posts have really resonated with me. I plan on addressing both topics once I have some time to “chew” on them. Please go by and read the following posts:

What You Will Get

Suffering

Don’t forget to say hello!!!

The weather today in my neck of the woods:

Overcast. Had quite a dark and stormy night last night. Great for me, now I don’t have to water the garden and the rain barrel is getting full.

A simple pleasure:

Sleeping in. I love that Mr. J. lets the dogs out before he heads out to work in the morning. It gives me about one to two hours extra sleep. Considering I am up with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum at 3:00 am every morning…that extra hour or two really helps.

I am thankful:

That I am learning to mold and shape our lives in accordance to the philosophy that “less is more”….at least in my mind.

From the kitchen:

Are you serious????? For those that know me well….I have my spits and spurts with this kitchen thing. The past few weeks have definitely been spits…so not much going on there that can’t be spread with a knife onto bread or popped in the microwave.

From the learning rooms:

Miss Sam continues to excel with the Virtual School teaching platform. It’s Mom that holds her up with the lab portions of her curriculum. Not that into growing yeast or covering my hand with washable paint to see what is left behind after hand washing. See, I don’t get it either.

I  finished reading:

Can’t remember the last book I actually read all the way through. Been having a tough time staying focused committed to one book.

I am currently reading:

Clear and Convincing Proof by Kate Wilhelm. Really light reading but at least I can stay focused at least for a chapter.

On My Mind:

Raising a teenager. I did wonderful with the childhood years (thank you very much!) and much of what was accomplished during those years are enduring traits that I  love seeing bloom and flourish. HOWEVER…we are now talking about a TEENAGER….can I get an AMEN.

There are good days and bad days. Not so much with her. But with me. You really need to be motivated to parent a teenager and some days it’s easier to say “whatever”. BTW…..Miss Sam loves those days.

Creative Projects:

• Been working outside in the backyard more than anything else.
• In spare moments I am able to get the photo portfolio moving in the right direction.
• Looking forward to focusing more on the genealogy project this week.

Hearth and Home:

STILL…thinking about spring cleaning.

Thinking it would be nice if I could wriggle my nose and voila…..there it is…that ever elusive clean house!!!

I did manage to clean the master bath…that lasted all of one day.

I laugh:

At the movie Old Dogs. I swear…the results of the medicine mix-up had me laughing so hard I hurt. It was almost as funny as Drop Dead Fred.

Inspirational Thought I’m  Sharing:

A grateful heart speaks a language all its own, a rare blend of mercy and graciousness, forgiveness and gentleness. A grateful heart makes time to imagine life in someone else’s world because quite often it can recall how it felt to do without.

Because it remembers being in need, or that it easily could be there in the future, it extends its concern beyond its own troubles to others, looking for ways to ease burdens and soothe hurts. A heart of gratitude beats more powerfully for others, having been tenderized through its own difficulties.

…Whether we realize it or not, every time we deal with others we speak for or against our gratitude toward all God has done for us.

Translate that language of gratitude into caring for others, and watch yourself be surrounded in an environment of friends who speak as God does.

~Erin Keeley Marshall~

A picture thought  I am sharing:

Beginning to feel the urge for another photo field trip. There is something about being behind a camera lens that releases hidden parts of my soul.

The weather today in my neck of the woods:

Gorgeous Florida day!!!!! The pollen count is high…but not complaining!!!!! The sun is shining and there is a breeze!!!

A simple pleasure:

Freshly laundered bed linens!! Especially now that I have begun to use Gain’s Island Fresh Fabric Softener. I am seriously thinking of switching to their detergent also.

I am thankful:

That Miss Sam had an awesome time in Daytona with her Uncle and cousin! That is what Spring Break is all about…..sunshine….the beach….body surfing the waves….and drinking too much pool water.

That Miss Sam is going to enjoy the company of her northern Aunt and Cousin next weekend when they come to visit. I believe a trip to Miss Sam’s favorite place ~ The Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park ~ is on the agenda. Time to get new batteries for the camera….she takes at least….at least 500 photos each trip!!!!

From the kitchen:

In all honesty, I don’t believe I turned on the oven once this weekend. It was whatever could be done on the grill or the griddle. Now that is “summer time” cooking at it’s finest.

From the learning rooms:

Sam was on “spring break” last week so not much going on there. Yoo Hoo from both of us!!!

I  finished reading:

An Irish Country Doctor . It was FABULOUS!!! If you liked the Mitford Series you will definitely like this series. I got the next one An Irish Country Village waiting patiently in the To Be Read pile.

I am currently reading:

Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham and I am completely hooked.

On My Mind:

The end of Spring Semester…we are down to the final chapters…and finals week is in three weeks. Time to start planning for Summer Semester. I am carrying a stacked class for Summer A and Summer B. Summer A (Developmental Psychology) class has 68 students in it. Summer B (Introduction to Psychology) has 50….both are completely filled!

Transforming my backyard into a “replica” of my virtual farm on Farm Ville….minus the cows/horses/lime green sheep. I actually worked on a walkway similar to one I walked on at the Botanical Garden last week….next is to plant some Liriope or another kind of border grass (any suggestions???) to border it….pictures will be forthcoming.

Friendships. I wish my best friend in Ohio liked the warm south better than the cold north!!!

Creative Projects:

• Still working on the genealogy project. Sent out some letters and have been thrilled with the results!!! Looking forward to filling in some puzzle pieces.
• Still making really good headway on my photo portfolio. Not much going on in the essay department though. This week I plan on choosing one photo and “musing” over it a bit.

Hearth and Home:

Thinking about spring cleaning.

Thinking it would be nice if I could wriggle my nose and voila…..there it is…that ever elusive clean house!!!

I laugh:

When I contemplate the changes (all good ~ except maybe joining in on her midnight jaunts into racoon country in the backyard) in Marbles’ personality since Psycho Girl Snickers came to live with us. What partners in crime these two have become.

Inspirational Thought I’m  Sharing:

In God’s eyes, a person’s value has no relationship to his or her wealth or position on the social ladder. Many people who have excelled in God’s work began in poverty or humble beginnings. God supersedes the social orders of this world, often choosing his future leaders and ambassadors from among social outcasts.

Do you treat the unwanted in society as though they have value?

Demonstrate by your actions that all people are valuable and useful in God’s eyes.

~ from the Life Application Study Bible ~ 

A picture thought  I am sharing:

A  relic from the past.

The weather today in my neck of the woods:

Another absolutely gorgeous Florida day!!! I have spring fever to the nth degree…and it is NOT a spring cleaning fever….it is lay around in a hammock ALL day and late into the evening spring fever….now to buy a hammock!

A simple pleasure:

Playing Farmville. I know it sounds crazy but it totally relaxes me. Awhile back my husband’s cousin asked on her Facebook page…”What inspires you?”. I answered…..my farm on Farmville.

Here is why. I love the virtual creativity of creating a farm with the tools given you (or earned). This has TOTALLY inspired me to really become creative with my backyard…with the tools I already have.

For example:

I would love to have a raised vegetable bed. But we just cannot afford it. But I did have several unused containers in the shed. Voila. I am now growing tomatoes/squash/sweet red peppers in containers.

I would love to have a lush butterfly garden that I can look out on while working in my home office. But I hate weeds!!! THAT is just WAY TOO MUCH WORK!!! But weeds don’t grow in containers as fast and furious as they do in the ground. So I have container gardens hanging all along the fence line.

And the list can go on of the changes that I am making, using what I have…

and literally because I have been inspired by Farmville. Weird, I know. But true.

I am thankful:

That Miss Sam’s Uncle Scott and Cousin Logan asked her to spend the day/night in Daytona today and tomorrow…..and that Miss Sam said yes. That is a HUGE step forward for Miss Sam!!! We are diligently working on moving out of our comfort zones…..our new motto is:

If You Don’t Step Out….You Miss Out

From the kitchen:

We had a fabulous cookout here at our place this Easter.

We had steak/baked potatoes/corn on the cob/broccoli/salad/my MIL’s famous potato salad….with peach shortcake and Oreo pie for dessert.

The grill has been christened…let the spring/summer grilling begin!!!

From the learning rooms:

Miss Sam is excelling in all her Virtual School courses. I can’t reiterate enough how great a fit Virtual School is with her learning style.

I am FINALLY finished reading:

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. It is a very intense novel. I believe it will find it’s way into the category of “literary classics” much like Dostoyevsky – one of my favorite authors. I loved.loved.loved it. I have her book Swan Thieves in my to be read pile.

Speaking of the To Be Read Pile…all the books I mentioned last week have been returned back to the library. Instead I had a copy of An Irish Country Doctor that I had picked up months ago. And read it in a few days. It was FABULOUS!!! If you liked the Mitford Series you will definitely like this series. I got the next one An Irish Country Village yesterday from Amazon used.

But it will have to wait because I started reading:

Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham and I am completely hooked.

On My Mind:

Watching my little girl grow up. It’s a difficult yet rewarding task.

Creative Projects:

• Still working on the genealogy project. Darn it!!! I just remembered the Genealogy Meeting at the lending library is at 10:00 and it is now 10:04! Rats. Rats. Rats. Now I will have to wait until next month. I need to get into the habit of reviewing my Daytimer AS SOON AS I GET UP!!! Not halfway into the day.
• Really making headway on my photo portfolio and bouncing around different essay ideas for certain pictures. I love this challenge!!!

Hearth and Home:

STILL not much going on there. Dust continues to make itself comfortable on EVERY surface. I love having everything green and blooming again but the yellow pollen clashes with my decorating theme.

I laugh:

Because just when I think I have heard it all from my students….I get zinged.

We are studying cultural bias in standardized testing. One of the tests I give asks where the “Hully Gully” originated. Of course…not one student even has a clue what the Hully Gully is….sadly….I AM old enough to know.

For the first time in all my years of teaching a student asked “Can you give us a demonstration???”

He…He…NO!

Inspirational Quote I’m  Sharing:

There is nothing in time or eternity more absolutely certain and irrefutable than what Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross – He made it possible for the entire human race to be brought back into a right-standing relationship with God. He made redemption the foundation of human life; that is, He made a way for every person to have fellowship with God. ~ Oswald Chambers ~

A picture thought  I am sharing:

The weather today in my neck of the woods:

Bright and sunshiney day …. but a cool 57 degrees outside!!! Usually by this time we are experiencing 80 degree temp days. I hope this means we have a rather warm but not HOT summer.

A simple pleasure:

Sleeping in on a weekday. I had to let Psycho Girl out three times last night…and of course Marbles is her Faithful Companion so he has to “supervise” her middle of the night jaunts. Well, okay, honestly…she won’t venture outside without him. Like I said….Psycho Girl Extraordinaire.

I am thankful:

For my Aunt Mary who kept EVERYTHING (letters/photos/certificates) that has to do with every member of my Dad’s family.

For my Mother who painstakingly sorted through EVERYTHING when the family homestead was to be sold and then graciously gave it all to me.

From the kitchen:

Lasagna sauce is in the crock pot as I write this. My cooking schedule was a little off this weekend due to a number of outside projects!!!

From the learning rooms:

Signed Miss Sam up for the classroom portion of Driver Education with Florida Virtual School!!!!!! OMG!!!!! As her Cousin Logan is always ready to point out:

“She can’t even keep a golf cart/four wheeler on the road yet!!! You’re going to trust her with a car????”

I am almost finished reading:

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. It is a very intense novel. I believe it will find it’s way into the category of “literary classics” much like Dostoyevsky – one of my favorite authors.

In the line up:

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

Noah’s Compass by Anne Tyler

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Added yesterday after trip to the Library to pick up the book Little Bee (I just can’t help myself):

Fire and Ice by J.A. Jance

Damage Control by J.A. Jance

Still River by Harry Hunsicker

On My Mind:

I have heard so many good programs on Moody Radio Florida these past few weeks that while I am driving I almost wreck trying to write down names/quotes/books.

I wish I could hibernate for a week in a cabin by a lake to write down and contemplate all that has been running rampant in my mind from the recent broadcasts on these programs:

Midday Connections

Homeward

Revive Our Hearts

Creative Projects:

• The genealogy project is really coming along nicely. Quite addicting I might add…especially when those little green leaves show up on the Ancestry webpage!
• Developing an organizational strategy for all the information I have accumulated. Making digital and hard copies of everything (very time consuming) and transcribing letters into Word Documents. My very good friend Kristanne (hope to see you in April) knows this procedure quite well as many years ago she transcribed and archived my father’s stories for me when I was completely computer illiterate. Now I can truly appreciate how daunting a task it was!!! Hugs to you Kristanne!!!
• Resurrecting my Photo Site site to highlight my “best of the best” photos. Thanks to the very talented Heather who is just wonderful and so accomodating!!!

Hearth and Home:

Not much going on there. Dust is still EVERYWHERE…how can there be pollen when it is 57 degrees outside?????????

Am managing to get some laundry done in between all my creative projects.

I laugh:

Because I think I can squeeze a hundred gazillion things into a 24 hour day.

Inspirational Quote I’m  Sharing:

Knowing our purpose strengthens us to keep going. It drives our anchor of faith deeper so we’ll have power to stand tall against many forces. ~Erin Keeley Marshall ~

A picture thought  I am sharing:

What???? It’s NOT Friday yet??????